Winter activity

G'day,

This will be my first golfing winter. What kinds of things do you guys do to stay sharp over the non-playing season?

Being a fellow Canadian, I can tell you to take up another hobby. Waiting for golf to come back (unless you live on the West Coast) is very painful.

A few things that keep us going in Edmonton (season is May - Oct) is the indoor driving range and a indoor golf simulator. The cheaper method would be to go to the golf stores and practice on their practice area for putting and try out some clubs which will allow you to hit into their nets.

One of the things you can do at home is keep on top of your putting. I spend approximately 4 hours/week through the winter putting in my basement. If you have high ceilings in your house you could practice swinging your clubs into an impact bag. It is also a good idea to work a bit harder on the fitness portion of your game and do a lot of stretching to keep your flexability.

If possible, try to get out for a golf vacation somewhere warm (Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Mexico, etc.). If you can only afford to go on one vacation, plan it for about a 1 - 1 1/2 months before the golf season starts in your region. Any sooner than that and you will drive yourself crazy, not to mention your wife, kids and friends!!!

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Thanks Gord.

I figured I could probably work on chips and putts (I've got some carpet in the basement that does a good job of simulating fast greens).

What is an impact bag? Is it similar to a golf net? I've thought about purchasing a hitting mat (like you see at better driving ranges) to save my backyard in the spring (and to hit off in the winter).

The other thing I thought about (with 8 ft ceilings) is working on my finesse game (half swings with a truncuated follow through).

An impact bag is similar to a bean bag chair. It's a big bag that is made of durable material that is made to hit your club into.

Depending on your height, you should be able to work on your full swing with 8 foot ceilings. I'm 6'2" and I can manage to get most of my clubs around without knocking the stipling off the ceiling. You should even be able to get your driver around if you work it slowly - I put a few scuffs on the toe and the ceiling from to followthrough in a full speed swing. The wife wasn't too happy to say the least about the marks on the ceiling!!!

I to have a mat and a net for backyard practice - As the snow starts melting I start shoveling the area where I usually put my net. This way the sun hits the ground in turn warming the soil. With the warm soil and sun, the snow will melt from the top and bottom getting you out hitting balls about 3 weeks before any of your buddies.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

So hitting an impact bag is not unlike hitting an old tire with an old club... cool.

Yeah - I've put a few scuff marks in the tile ceiling with a 5i... I'm only 6' tall, but I have a high finish...

Sounds like it's time to move somewhere where it's warm year round

Why not go down to the driving range every time you normally play golf. Hit about 50 - 100 balls n work on particular shots and aiming a markers. Be careful not to overdoe it in 1 session as your muscles become tired and your shots get worse leading to you probably trying to change parts of your swing that don't need changed.

I can tell you from experience that not playing much golf over winter can be hazardous to your golf. If you keep playing over winter it will take less time to get your game back once the season starts back up!

You mean an indoor range, right?

one with a cover over the bays in which you hit from.

we have a great 1 here in scotland with heated bays

Weather in Canada is much different than across the pond. Several feet of snow here is not uncommon from November to April so the outdoor ranges are all shut down at the end of October. Indoor ranges and golf simulators are all we have throughout the Winter, unless the wife will let you set up some sort of practice facility in the house....

And I thought playing golf in scotland in winter was bad!!!

Jack Nicklaus used to hit balls into the snow and when the snow melted pick them up but its unlikely that you'd be able to get any of your balls back if its in a public place.

It might not be a bad idea to shovel a pile to hit into... I'm sure snow would provide a pretty forgiving lie.

One of the first things that happens to me over the winter is that the swing plane goes a little and there are many reasons for this and really you could call it the whole swing. The problem with this is that what causes plane faults differ from person to person. Apart from your usual exercises you still need to practice the full swing and rather than smashing a few lightbulbs, it's really worth the effort to visit the range ... and if you can get your pro from the armchair by the fire, so much the better.

well during the winter, i play hockey from september to march. im on the ice about 4 times a week sometimes more. i also play video games. think about golf but dont wait for it. itll take forever to come

I play hockey through out the Winter as well. Do you play hockey the same hand as you golf? I have been wondering if there is any benefit to this? I know Brett Hull said his success in golf is a direct benefit of from slap shot, but I was wondering is there any reason behind this? I also heard that Mike Weir is teaching Gretzky to golf left handed (since he played hockey left handed). Mike said he has converted Wayne to putting left handed. Gretz is hitting left handed on the range, but on the course plays right handed.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall